Trial Court Reduces Punitive Award Against San Diego Gas & Electric

    Last September, CalBizLit blogged about a fairly shocking verdict against San Diego Gas and Electric.  In this wrongful death case, the families of four Camp Pendleton marines were awarded $14.2 million in compensatory damages and $40.4 million in punitive damages.  The marines had tragically been killed after the pilot of a marine helicopter ran it into an unlit utility tower which had been on the base for twenty-five years without incident.

    Looks as though the post-trial motions have just about wrapped, and so far, things have improved a bit for San Diego Gas:  the trial judge reduced the punitive component of the award down to a mere $8.5 million.  Hat tip to Horvitz & Levy's Punitive Damages, an Exemplary Blog.  And apparently H & L will be representing the utility on appeal.